RACING Successful Open-Class Debut By Stranger

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32235, 2 March 1970, Page 4

RACING Successful Open-Class Debut By Stranger

•‘The Press** Special Service DUNEDIN. Stranger, a thoroughbred of unknown pedigree on his distaff side, v as having his first race in open company when he beat the favourite. Slide* • rule, and a strong field of milers in the Dunedin Jockey Club s T.A.B. • double at Wingatui on Saturday.

The dam of Stranger is unknown, but like Sliderule, he is by Mr W. E. Hazlett’s sire Kurdistan, whose stock include smart sprinters, cup winners, top hurdlers and steeplechasers.

Stranger was foaled on! the property of Mr A. H. Parris, of Timaru, and was reared there until a yearling. A deal was made with Mr Hazlett whereby in exchange for Stranger Mr Parris was given bookings to the Chalendry Stud sire Lomond with the guarantee of a live foal to two of Mr Parris's top mares They were sold at the last Trentham yearling sales. The colt, from Reprived, brought $3OOO. and the filly from Hush Lady 54750. Stanger had been patiently prepared by his Riverton trainer. W. J. Hillis. He has, been out of the money only' once in nine starts this season. and Saturday's win was. his fourth success this term.' At his previous start he. won impressively in an Inter-' mediate event at the Gore meeting. Well Ridden B. L. Shaw, who is apprenticed to his father, S. G. Shaw, at Invercargill, earned top marks for his handling of 1 Stranger. I

j Shaw has been associated with several notable successes ' for the Hazlett-owned-Hillis- > trained horses, including the ! Dunedin Cup on Ayrshire Dawn, the Wyndham Cup on 'Urban, and the Summer Hack ■ Cup on Bill O'Groats. . Shaw also rode Queen's 1 Birthday, winner of the . feature race on the first day 1 of the meeting. I Sliderule, the favourite, 1 was slow to stert and was near the rear on the home :: turn. Then the Kurdistan ' gelding came through the field with dazzling speed and I did well to reduce the winner’s margin to three- ' quarters of a length. Sliderule will probably go Jto Trentham for the second day of the Wellington meet- !! ing. 'j Trelay ran a sound rac- at ; his first attempt in open com'pany. He was still well back jat the final half-mile, but came home well for third. : Gay Doctor was handy but ! covered extra ground. He iheld on well for fourth. Both Beaten II 11 The big disappointments •were Donald Mac and Some- : light. They were eleventh and ■twelfth to finish. Donald Mac, who began ■brilliantly and soon took over the pacemaking, was still disiputing the pace with General

Boy into the straight but was beaten soon after. Somelight, which is seen at his best out in front, was unable to get near the pace. | Shewetta and Baghdad Note earned trips to Trentham for ■the Wellington autumn meetj ing when they finished first . and second respectively in

, the Provincial Handicap. , After her brilliant all-the-way win on the first day of the meeting Shewetta was an !odds-on favourite for the sixi furlong sprint. She again led • throughout and won untested by two lengths. i Second Win Shewetta gave his Wingatui trainer, A. N. Didham, his second win for the day and his fifth for the meeting. Baghdad Note could not have been more impressive in his first race since the Wellington winter meeting in July. He was last in the early stages but finished brilliantly ; to beat Bargain Hunter for . second.